Novosti interviewed them after yesterday's public address by Alexei Miller. The Gazprom CEO announced an approval for merger blueprints. The deal will not concern Yuganskneftegaz, biggest Yukos production branch, auctioned off for debts and purchased by Rosneft.
"The merger promises the gas concern excellent prospects-it will strengthen its position in Asia. Rosneft is holding licenses to develop several gasfields, and possesses considerable natural gas reserves, to say nothing of its share in Project Sakhalin 1," said Konstantin Gulyaev, analyst of Region, major investment company.
Dmitry Mangilev, expert of Prospekt, another big Russian investment company, is just as optimistic about Gazprom's Asian-based gas projects. Merger approval will pace up their implementation, he expects.
The united corporate giant will certainly enhance efficiency-a point on which all our interviewees were at one. They all regard the fact of merger patterns made public as ushering in Gazprom stock market liberalization.
"Anyway, the official resolution announced means we are starting to liberalize the market," remarked Mr. Mangilev.
It is quite logical for the merger not to imply Yugansk-even after the Houston court refused to carry on Yukos case consideration, its former biggest production branch still remains a very hazardous company. All experts agree on the point.
The Gazprom-Rosneft merger will give the government Gazprom control stock in exchange for the entire Rosneft stock minus Yugansk, Alexei Miller said today.
"Rosneft assets integrated into Gazprom will enhance Gazprom presence in the petroleum sector. That will allow the company quite soon to develop into one of the world's leading oil-and-gas energy majors," he reassured.
